If paychecks were enough to motivate a team, it would be easier to run a business. But inspiring passion in employees isn’t always so simple. Employees need purpose, passion, and inspiration to do their best work—which often requires a fundamental belief that their work can accomplish something great.
For Gene Slade, CEO and Founder of Lead Ninja System and Lead Ninja AI, these insights led him to a unique approach to sales. Slade is a sales expert whose techniques have helped companies in sales-driven industries from pest control to solar services.
Having built a reputation for quadrupling revenues and elevating salespeople’s incomes to over $400,000 annually, Slade advocates for more than implementing new sales techniques. He takes a holistic approach to employee motivation: shifting mindsets, fostering new resilience, and helping salespeople mix personal growth with professional ambition.
The Shift in Mindset Necessary to Achieve Sales Excellence
Slade believes the foundation for turning employees into extraordinary achievers begins on the mental level. What people believe about themselves—and the services they’re offering—will ultimately impact their bottom line.
Slade first noticed the impact of mindset early in his sales career. In one of his most formative experiences as a sales professional, he asked himself: “What do I want to happen?” His answer was simple: he wanted people to trust him—and ultimately buy from him. However, Slade didn’t leave it there. He turned that faith into a mantra, repeating to himself: “Everybody trusts me; everybody buys from me.”
According to Slate, mantras like these help forge new neural pathways and, once familiar, lead to shifts in attitudes. The same day, Slade closed the sale in question—and his life was never the same.
Slade’s extended this experience into a newfound belief in the power of affirmations. He teaches that every interaction—and indeed, every thought—should align with the success that salespeople envision for themselves.
“Your mindset sets the tone for your success,” says Slade. “Believe in your value, and the world will follow.”
The Principles of Effective Sales Work—In Any Industry
What’s guided Slade’s success in industries as varying as HVAC, plumbing, and pest control? Each industry leads with a different value proposition—yet time and again, Slade’s techniques have transformative results for businesses.
According to Slade, it’s because the core principles of sales are fairly universal themes. Slade believes that effective sales is about fostering genuine connections. And human connections matter in any industry—in the trades, in tech, and in finance. That is why Slade’s methods tend to focus on forging those connections.
To Slade, good sales start with finding out what the customer needs, then building the services around delivering value that goes beyond these basic financial transactions. Slade doesn’t believe in pushing products as much as building trust and connections between people.
“Succeeding in sales requires a mindset of service,” Slade says. “When you focus on helping people achieve what they want, closing deals becomes a natural outcome.”
Turning Resilience into a Key Asset for All Salespeople
Slade began as a struggling technician. Now he enjoys the life of a successful entrepreneur—a transformation that he ascribes to his resilience.
Slade wasn’t born into monetary success, nor did he necessarily have a thriving, prosperous family to support him in his low moments. Yet his resilience through these obstacles—combined with an unwavering desire to figure out the core principles of effective sales—helped him gain the knowledge he now shares with others.
Slade points to one of his success stories: mentoring a technician named Eric Prough. As Slade tells it, Prough was a characteristic example of how a resilient nature combined with effective sales guidance could lead people to growth beyond their wildest expectations.
“Eric was living in his car with his wife and child before Lead Ninja methods changed his life,” says Slade. “Now, he has a paid off house, six figures in the bank, was able to buy his daughter a very expensive horse because she loved it, and he can take 10-day vacations with his family because he can afford it, and because he has the time to do so. Resilience isn’t about never falling down; it’s about getting up every time you do.”
Slade believes that, deep down, many employees and salespeople are capable of the same transformation.
Slade is a megaphone for such success stories, believing that sales and resilience contain lessons that go beyond the boardroom and touch every aspect of an employee’s life.
Today, Slade teaches others to adopt his principles and put them to work, often working as a highly sought-after speaker for corporate events, retreats, and seminars. For those looking to optimize their team’s performance or simply inspire their workforce to believe in their mission, Gene Slade can be a key booking.
About Lead Ninja & Gene Slade
Gene Slade, CEO of Lead Ninja System and Lead Ninja AI, is a pioneering force in the realm of sales training, conversational AI, and business development in the HVAC, plumbing, and electrical industry. With a steadfast commitment to empowering professionals in the trades, Gene offers transformative coaching experiences that revolutionize the way business owners approach sales and growth through personalized guidance, community support, and access to exclusive resources. For more information, call or text Gene himself at (239) 848-6533 or visit https://leadninjasystem.com/ and http://leadninjaai.com
